Gripping device

Abstract

To provide a gripping device that facilitates adjustment of rattling in a gripping member.SOLUTION: A gripping device 100 comprises a pair of gripping members 30, a guide mechanism 40, a rod, a pair of levers 20, and a body 10. The pair of gripping members 30 are connected, by the pair of levers 20, to the rod, and can be opened and closed by movement of the rod. The guide mechanism 40 guides the pair of gripping members 30 such that the members move in an opening / closing direction X. The body 10 holds the rod and the pair of levers 20 and is fixed, by a fixing member 50, to the guide mechanism 40. The guide mechanism 40 has a plurality of guide rails 42. The plurality of guide rails 42 pinch the pair of gripping members 30 and holds the pair of gripping members 30 with respect to the body 10, in the opening / closing direction X and in a direction that is orthogonal to a direction in which the rod can move.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gripping device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gripping device having hand members as a pair of gripping members, a guide mechanism as a guide mechanism, a rod, a pair of levers, and a body. The guide mechanism is composed of a guide block. Each of the pair of gripping members is connected to the rod by a lever. The rod is built into the body and is configured to be movable in the axial direction of the body. The gripping device opens and closes the pair of gripping members in conjunction with movement of the rod in the axial direction of the body, and grips an object with the pair of gripping members.

[0003] The guide block is attached to an end of the body. The guide mechanism guides the pair of gripping members in the opening and closing direction using the guide block. The guide mechanism attaches the pair of gripping members to the body so that they can be opened and closed by accommodating portions of the gripping members in recesses in the guide block. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6227578 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a gripping device that guides a gripping member using a guide mechanism, it is desirable to make it easier to adjust the backlash in the gripping member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A gripping device for solving the above problem includes a pair of gripping members configured to be openable and closable, a guide mechanism that guides the pair of gripping members to move in an opening and closing direction, a rod configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction, a pair of levers that connect the rod and the gripping members, and a body that holds the rod and the pair of levers and to which the guide mechanism is fixed by a fixing member, wherein the pair of gripping members are linked to the movement of the rod by the pair of levers and move in the opening and closing direction guided by the guide mechanism in the gripping device, and the guide mechanism has a plurality of guide rails that extend in the opening and closing direction and are fixed to the body by the fixing member, and the plurality of guide rails sandwich the pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction and the direction in which the rod can move, and hold the pair of gripping members against the body.

[0007] In the above gripping device, the guide mechanism has a bottom plate interposed between the plurality of guide rails and the body, and the pair of gripping members may be connected to a pair of the levers that pass through the bottom plate and open and close along the bottom plate.

[0008] In the gripping device, the guide mechanism may be made of resin. In the above gripping device, the body may have a plurality of body-side fixing holes at the end where the pair of gripping members are provided, the guide rail may have a plurality of rail-side fixing holes that face the body-side fixing holes and pass through the guide rail, and the fixing member may have a shaft portion that is inserted into the rail-side fixing hole and threaded into the body-side fixing hole, and a flange portion that presses the guide rail against the body.

[0009] In the gripping device, the rail-side fixing hole may have a diameter larger than that of the body-side fixing hole and smaller than a diameter of the flange portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily adjust the backlash in the gripping member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a gripping device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the gripping device in a closed state on the left half and in an open state on the right half. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the gripping device taken along line 3-3 in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the gripping device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a gripping device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a gripping device in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the gripping device will be described with reference to FIGS. <Overall image of the gripping device> 1 and 2, the gripping device 100 has a body 10, a pair of levers 20, a pair of gripping members 30, and a guide mechanism 40. The gripping device 100 is configured to be able to grip an object (not shown) by opening and closing the pair of gripping members 30. The direction in which the pair of gripping members 30 open and close is referred to as an opening / closing direction X.

[0013] <Body> The body 10 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. The body 10 is made of resin. The body 10 has a body axis LB as its central axis. The body 10 extends along the body axis LB. The body 10 holds an actuator unit 12. The actuator unit 12 has a cylinder bore 10a inside the body 10. The cylinder bore 10a extends in the direction of the body axis LB. Hereinafter, the direction in which the body axis LB extends will be referred to as the axial direction Z. The axial direction Z is perpendicular to the opening / closing direction X. The cylinder bore 10a extends from a first end to a second end of the body 10 in the axial direction Z.

[0014] The actuator unit 12 has a cap 13, a piston 14, and a rod 15. The body 10 holds the rod 15 and a pair of levers 20. The cap 13 is provided at a second end of the body 10. The cap 13 closes a cylinder bore 10a at the second end of the body 10. The piston 14 is disposed inside the cylinder bore 10a. The piston 14 is provided slidably on the inner surface of the body 10 that defines the cylinder bore 10a.

[0015] The rod 15 is fixed to an end of the piston 14 that does not face the cap 13 in the axial direction Z. The rod 15 is connected to the piston 14 at its base end. The rod 15 is cylindrical and extends along its central axis. The rod 15 is provided in the piston 14 so that its central axis coincides with the body axis LB. The rod 15 has a lever holding portion 151 at its tip end. A lever shaft 152 is inserted into the lever holding portion 151. The axis of the lever shaft 152 extends in a direction perpendicular to the opening / closing direction X and the axial direction Z. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the opening / closing direction X and the axial direction Z will be referred to as the body thickness direction Y.

[0016] The actuator portion 12 has a head chamber 16a and a rod chamber 16b. The head chamber 16a is the space in the cylinder bore 10a on the cap 13 side. The rod chamber 16b is the space in the cylinder bore 10a that contains the rod 15. In other words, the cylinder bore 10a is divided into the head chamber 16a and the rod chamber 16b by the piston 14.

[0017] The actuator unit 12 has a head-side port 17a and a rod-side port 17b. The head-side port 17a and the rod-side port 17b are each provided in the body 10. The head-side port 17a is in communication with the head chamber 16a. The rod-side port 17b is in communication with the rod chamber 16b. The head chamber 16a and the rod chamber 16b are each connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) provided outside the gripping device 100 via the head-side port 17a and the rod-side port 17b, respectively. The compressed air supply source is configured to be able to supply and discharge compressed air to and from the head chamber 16a and the rod chamber 16b.

[0018] The actuator unit 12 reciprocates the piston 14 and the rod 15 along the body axis LB in response to the supply and discharge of compressed air from a compressed air supply source (not shown). In other words, the actuator unit 12 is configured to be able to move the rod 15 relative to the body 10. In other words, the rod 15 is configured to be able to move in a direction perpendicular to the opening / closing direction X of the gripping member 30.

[0019] 2 and 4, the body 10 is provided with a lever accommodating chamber 20a that penetrates the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X and opens in the axial direction Z. The lever accommodating chamber 20a is provided in a portion of the body 10 near the first end. The tip of the rod 15 is disposed in the lever accommodating chamber 20a. A lever holding portion 151 protrudes into the lever accommodating chamber 20a.

[0020] The first end of the body 10 is divided into two parts in the body thickness direction Y by the lever accommodating chamber 20a. That is, the body 10 has two divided end faces at the first end. Hereinafter, each of the two divided end faces will be referred to as a support surface 101. That is, the body 10 has two support surfaces 101.

[0021] The body 10 has a plurality of body-side fixing holes 10b that open at the support surface 101 and extend in the axial direction Z. That is, the gripping device 100 has a plurality of body-side fixing holes 10b. In this embodiment, the gripping device 100 has four body-side fixing holes 10b. The body 10 has two body-side fixing holes 10b for each support surface 101. On each support surface 101, the two body-side fixing holes 10b are aligned in the opening / closing direction X. Each body-side fixing hole 10b on one support surface 101 is aligned in the body thickness direction Y with one of the body-side fixing holes 10b on the other support surface 101. A female thread (not shown) is formed on the inner surface of the body-side fixing holes 10b.

[0022] <Lever> Each of the pair of levers 20 is plate-shaped. The pair of levers 20 are housed in a lever housing chamber 20a. The levers 20 are plate-shaped extending from the base end toward the tip end, and have a shape in which the portion closer to the base end is bent relative to the portion closer to the tip end. The levers 20 have a support shaft 21 at the bent portion. In other words, the levers 20 are plate-shaped in which the portion closer to the base end than the support shaft 21 is bent relative to the portion closer to the tip end than the support shaft 21. The levers 20 have an engagement portion 22 at the base end and a connecting portion 23 at the tip end.

[0023] The support shaft 21 connects the lever 20 to the body 10. In other words, the lever 20 is supported by the body 10 via the support shaft 21. The lever 20 is provided in the lever accommodating chamber 20a so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 21. The base end of the lever 20 is connected to the tip end of the rod 15. The base end of the lever 20 is held by the lever holding portion 151. More specifically, the lever 20 is connected to the rod 15 by inserting the lever shaft portion 152 into the lever holding portion 151 and the engagement portion 22, which are aligned in the body thickness direction Y. In other words, the pair of levers 20 are connected to the rod 15. The levers 20 rotate around the support shaft 21 as the actuator unit 12 moves the rod 15. A portion of the lever 20 near the tip end protrudes from the lever accommodating chamber 20a. In other words, the connecting portion 23 is disposed outside the body 10.

[0024] <Gripping member> The pair of gripping members 30 are provided at positions aligned with the body 10 in the axial direction Z. The gripping members 30 are arranged to face a first end of the body 10 via a guide mechanism 40. The body 10 has a plurality of body-side fixing holes 10b at the end where the pair of gripping members 30 are provided.

[0025] Each of the pair of gripping members 30 has a main body portion 31 and an attachment portion 32. The main body portion 31 and the attachment portion 32 are each block-shaped. The main body portion 31 has a longitudinal direction in the opening / closing direction X. The attachment portion 32 has a longitudinal direction in the axial direction Z.

[0026] The main body 31 has an upright surface 311 on one of its end faces in the axial direction Z and a connecting surface 312 on the other. The main body 31 has a connecting hole 30a at the connecting surface 312. The connecting hole 30a opens toward the body 10 in the axial direction Z. The connecting portion 23 of the lever 20 is inserted into the connecting hole 30a. The main body 31 has a bulging portion 33 in a portion closer to the connecting surface 312 in the axial direction Z. The bulging portion 33 is a portion that bulges slightly from the main body 31 in the body thickness direction Y. The bulging portion 33 bulges from both end surfaces of the main body 31 in the body thickness direction Y.

[0027] The mounting portion 32 stands on the standing surface 311. The mounting portion 32 has a mounting hole 32a that penetrates in the opening / closing direction X. A finger (not shown) is attached to the mounting hole 32a.

[0028] The gripping member 30 is connected to the tip end of the lever 20. More specifically, the gripping member 30 is connected to the lever 20 with the connecting portion 23 housed in the connecting hole 30a. That is, each of the pair of gripping members 30 is connected to the rod 15 via the lever 20. In other words, the pair of levers 20 connect the rod 15 and the gripping member 30. The connecting portion 23 is housed in the connecting hole 30a while contacting the inner surface that defines the connecting hole 30a. Movement of the rod 15 by the actuator unit 12 is converted into movement of the pair of gripping members 30 in the opening / closing direction X by the rotation of the lever 20. The pair of gripping members 30 open and close in conjunction with the movement of the rod 15 by the pair of levers 20.

[0029] 2, hereinafter, a state in which the gripping device 100 closes the gripping members 30 will be referred to as S1. Also, a state in which the gripping device 100 opens the gripping members 30 will be referred to as an open state S2. The pair of gripping members 30 can be in the closed state S1, the open state S2, or a state between the closed state S1 and the open state S2, depending on the movement of the rod 15. In other words, the gripping device 100 has a pair of gripping members 30 that are configured to be openable and closable.

[0030] <Guide mechanism> As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the guide mechanism 40 has a bottom plate 41, a plurality of guide rails 42, and a plurality of guide grooves 43. In this embodiment, the guide mechanism 40 has two guide rails 42. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide mechanism 40 has two guide grooves 43. The guide mechanism 40 is provided at a first end of the body 10. The guide mechanism 40 is interposed between the body 10 and the pair of gripping members 30, with the pair of levers 20 passing through it in the axial direction Z. The guide mechanism 40 is configured to guide movement of the pair of gripping members 30 in the opening / closing direction X. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 guides the pair of gripping members 30 in the opening / closing direction X.

[0031] The bottom plate 41 and the guide rails 42 are made of resin. That is, the guide mechanism 40 is made of resin. <Bottom plate> The bottom plate 41 is shaped like a long plate. The thickness direction of the bottom plate 41 coincides with the axial direction Z. One of the end faces in the thickness direction of the bottom plate 41 faces the support surface 101, and the other face faces the connection surface 312. In other words, the bottom plate 41 is interposed between the body 10 and the gripping member 30. The longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 41 coincides with the opening / closing direction X. In other words, the direction of the bottom plate 41 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and thickness direction coincides with the body thickness direction Y.

[0032] The width of the bottom plate 41 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the width of the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X. The width of the bottom plate 41 in the thickness direction and in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is the same as the width of the body 10 in the body thickness direction Y.

[0033] The bottom plate 41 has a pair of lever insertion holes 41a and a plurality of bottom plate fixing holes 41b. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 41 has four bottom plate fixing holes 41b. Each of the lever insertion holes 41a and the bottom plate fixing holes 41b penetrates the bottom plate 41 in the thickness direction. The pair of lever insertion holes 41a are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 41. The lever insertion holes 41a are elongated holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 41. The four bottom plate fixing holes 41b are provided in portions of the bottom plate 41 near the edges extending in the longitudinal direction.

[0034] The bottom plate 41 has a pair of levers 20 inserted into a pair of lever insertion holes 41a. In other words, the pair of gripping members 30 are connected to the pair of levers 20 that penetrate the bottom plate 41, and open and close along the bottom plate 41. The bottom plate 41 is provided so that each of the four bottom plate fixing holes 41b and each of the four body side fixing holes 10b are aligned in the axial direction Z. In other words, the bottom plate 41 has the bottom plate fixing holes 41b at positions aligned with the body side fixing holes 10b in the axial direction Z.

[0035] <Guide rail> The guide rails 42 are columnar. The guide rails 42 are provided on the surface of the bottom plate 41 that faces the pair of gripping members 30. In other words, the guide rails 42 are provided on the bottom plate 41. The guide rails 42 are provided on the end surfaces of the bottom plate 41 in the thickness direction that do not face the body 10. The guide rails 42 are provided on the surface of the bottom plate 41 that faces the pair of gripping members 30. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 has the bottom plate 41 interposed between the plurality of guide rails 42 and the body 10. The extending direction of the central axis of the guide rails 42 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 41. In other words, the extending direction of the central axis of the guide rails 42 coincides with the opening / closing direction X. The two guide rails 42 are provided on the bottom plate 41 so as to sandwich the pair of gripping members 30 in the body thickness direction Y. Each of the two guide rails 42 is aligned with each of the two support surfaces 101 in the axial direction Z via the bottom plate 41. If the direction in which the central axis of each of the guide rails 42 extends is defined as the longitudinal direction, the length of each of the guide rails 42 in the longitudinal direction is the same as the width of the bottom plate 41 in the longitudinal direction.

[0036] The guide rail 42 has two rail-side fixing holes 42a. Each of the two rail-side fixing holes 42a penetrates the guide rail 42 in the axial direction Z. Each of the two rail-side fixing holes 42a penetrates a portion of the guide rail 42 that is aligned with the bottom plate fixing hole 41b in the axial direction Z. In other words, the rail-side fixing holes 42a are aligned with the bottom plate fixing holes 41b and the body-side fixing holes 10b in the axial direction Z. The guide rail 42 faces the body-side fixing holes 10b and has a plurality of rail-side fixing holes 42a that penetrate the guide rail 42. The diameter of the rail-side fixing holes 42a is larger than the diameter of the body-side fixing holes 10b. The diameter of the rail-side fixing holes 42a matches the diameter of the bottom plate fixing holes 41b.

[0037] The guide rail 42 has a groove forming portion 44. The groove forming portion 44 extends in the opening / closing direction X. The groove forming portion 44 is provided over the entire longitudinal direction of the guide rail 42. The groove forming portion 44 opens toward the axial direction Z and the body thickness direction Y. The guide rail 42 has a first inner surface 441 and a second inner surface 442 in the groove forming portion 44. The first inner surface 441 is a surface perpendicular to the axial direction Z. The second inner surface 442 is a surface perpendicular to the body thickness direction Y. The guide rail 42 is provided on the bottom plate 41 so that the first inner surface 441 faces in a direction opposite the bottom plate 41 in the axial direction Z.

[0038] The two guide rails 42 are provided on the bottom plate 41 so that the groove forming portions 44 face each other in the body thickness direction Y. In other words, in the body thickness direction Y, the second inner surface 442 of one guide rail 42 faces the second inner surface 442 of the other guide rail 42 in the body thickness direction Y.

[0039] <Guide groove> The guide groove 43 is defined by the bottom plate 41 and the groove forming portion 44. More specifically, the guide groove 43 is defined by the surface of the bottom plate 41 on which the guide rail 42 is provided, and a first inner surface 441 and a second inner surface 442. The guide groove 43 extends in the opening / closing direction X and opens in the body thickness direction Y. The guide groove 43 is provided over the entire longitudinal direction of the guide rail 42.

[0040] The guide groove 43 is formed for each guide rail 42. That is, in this embodiment, the guide mechanism 40 has two guide grooves 43. In the guide mechanism 40, one guide groove 43 opens toward the other guide groove 43.

[0041] <Positional relationship between gripping member, bottom plate, and guide rail> The gripping members 30 have their connection surfaces 312 facing the bottom plate 41, and their end surfaces in the body thickness direction Y facing the guide rails 42. In other words, the guide rails 42 sandwich the pair of gripping members 30 in a direction perpendicular to the opening / closing direction X and the direction in which the rod 15 can move. In this embodiment, the pair of gripping members 30 are sandwiched between the two guide rails 42 in the body thickness direction Y.

[0042] The gripping member 30 has two bulging portions 33 inserted into the guide grooves 43. The bulging portions 33 are sandwiched between the bottom plate 41 and the guide rails 42 in the axial direction Z. Therefore, the movement of the gripping member 30 in the axial direction Z away from the body 10 is restricted by the guide rails 42. Furthermore, the movement of the gripping member 30 in the body thickness direction Y is restricted by the two guide rails 42. In other words, the multiple guide rails 42 hold the pair of gripping members 30 relative to the body 10. More specifically, the bottom plate 41 and the guide rails 42 restrict movement of the gripping members 30 in the body thickness direction Y and the axial direction Z, but do not restrict movement in the opening / closing direction X. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 holds the gripping members 30 to the body 10 while guiding their movement in the opening / closing direction X.

[0043] <Fixing material> The gripping device 100 has a plurality of fixing members 50. In this embodiment, the gripping device 100 has four fixing members 50.

[0044] The fixing member 50 is bolt-shaped and has a cylindrical shaft portion 51 and a disk-shaped flange portion 52. The diameter of the shaft portion 51 is smaller than the diameter of the flange portion 52. The diameter of the shaft portion 51 is smaller than the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a. The diameter of the shaft portion 51 is also slightly smaller than the diameters of the bottom plate fixing hole 41b and the body-side fixing hole 10b. The diameter of the flange portion 52 is larger than the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a. In other words, the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a is larger than the diameter of the body-side fixing hole 10b and smaller than the diameter of the flange portion 52. The shaft portion 51 is connected to the end face of the flange portion 52 at its base end, and is externally threaded near its tip end.

[0045] The fixing member 50 fastens the guide rail 42, the bottom plate 41, and the body 10 together. That is, the guide rail 42 is fixed to the body 10 by the fixing member 50. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 is fixed to the body 10 by the fixing member 50. The tip of the shaft 51 of the fixing member 50 is inserted from the rail-side fixing hole 42a into the bottom plate fixing hole 41b and the body-side fixing hole 10b, and is screwed into a female thread formed on the inner surface of the body-side fixing hole 10b. That is, the fixing member 50 has the shaft 51 that is inserted into the rail-side fixing hole 42a and screwed into the body-side fixing hole 10b.

[0046] The fixing member 50 closes the rail-side fixing hole 42a with the flange portion 52 and presses the guide rail 42 toward the bottom plate 41. In other words, the fixing member 50 has the flange portion 52 that presses the guide rail 42 against the body 10. The pressing force associated with this pressing is adjusted by the tightening torque of the fixing member 50. The tightening torque of the fixing member 50 deforms the guide rail 42 in the body thickness direction Y, in the direction toward the gripping member 30. The magnitude of this deformation is adjusted by the tightening torque of the fixing member 50.

[0047] Both longitudinal ends of the bottom plate 41 protrude beyond both ends of the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X. Both longitudinal ends of the guide rail 42 are located at the same positions as both longitudinal ends of the bottom plate 41. Therefore, the guide groove 43 extends to a position protruding beyond both ends of the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X.

[0048] <Operation and action of the gripping device> The operation of this embodiment will be described together with the movement of the gripping device 100. The gripping device 100 is attached to a robot arm (not shown) at a portion of the body 10 near the second end thereof, for example, and is disposed so that the pair of gripping members 30 and an object (not shown) face each other.

[0049] 2, in the gripping device 100, compressed air is supplied to and discharged from a compressed air supply source to the head chamber 16a and the rod chamber 16b via the head-side port 17a and the rod-side port 17b. This causes the piston 14 and the rod 15 to move in the axial direction Z of the body 10. The movement of the rod 15 in the axial direction Z leads to movement of the pair of gripping members 30 in the opening / closing direction X via the rotation of the pair of levers 20.

[0050] The pair of gripping members 30 move along the guide grooves 43 of the guide rails 42. The pair of gripping members 30 move linearly in the opening / closing direction X by following the guide grooves 43. In other words, the pair of gripping members 30 move in the opening / closing direction X while being guided by the guide mechanism 40.

[0051] When the pair of gripping members 30 move in the opening / closing direction X, the main body 31 and the bulging portion 33 move while sliding on the bottom plate 41 and the guide rail 42. The force transmitted from the rod 15 to the pair of gripping members 30 via the lever 20 may include components in the body thickness direction Y and the axial direction Z in addition to a component in the opening / closing direction X. The guide mechanism 40 generates a resistance force by using the two guide rails 42 against the force in the body thickness direction Y that is applied to the pair of gripping members 30 by the lever 20. The guide mechanism 40 also generates a resistance force by using the two guide rails 42 and the bottom plate 41 against the force in the axial direction Z that is applied to the pair of gripping members 30 by the lever 20. As a result, the guide mechanism 40 allows the pair of gripping members 30 to move only in the opening / closing direction X by the force transmitted by the lever 20.

[0052] If backlash occurs in the pair of gripping members 30 in a direction different from the opening / closing direction X, the backlash can be reduced, for example, by grinding the guide rails 42 or changing the distance between the two guide rails 42. The two guide rails 42 of the guide mechanism 40 are fixed to the body 10 by fixing members 50, and therefore can be removed from the body 10 by removing the fixing members 50. The two guide rails 42 that make up the guide mechanism 40 are separate from each other, and therefore the guide rails 42 can be ground individually.

[0053] [Effects of this embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1-1) The play of the gripping member 30 relative to the guide mechanism 40 can be adjusted by grinding each of the two guide rails 42. Furthermore, the movement of the gripping member 30 in the opening / closing direction X is guided by the two guide rails 42 that are aligned in the body thickness direction Y. Therefore, the guide mechanism 40 can adjust the play of the gripping member 30 by adjusting the distance between the two guide rails 42 in the body thickness direction Y. For example, it is easier to adjust the play of the gripping member 30 than when the guide mechanism 40 is formed integrally with the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42. As described above, the gripping device 100 can facilitate the adjustment of the play of the gripping member 30.

[0054] (1-2) The bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42 are each made of resin. As a result, the gripping device 100 is lighter than, for example, a case in which the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42 are each made of metal. Furthermore, the body 10 is made of resin. The gripping device 100 is lighter than a case in which the body 10 is made of metal. Here, in the gripping device 100, the body 10 has a larger specific gravity in terms of volume than the other parts. In other words, by making the body 10 of resin in the gripping device 100, a significant weight reduction can be achieved compared to a case in which the other parts are made of resin.

[0055] (1-3) For example, in the case of a guide mechanism 40 in which the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42 are integrally molded, a thin-walled shape is generated in the portions corresponding to the guide groove 43 and the bottom plate 41. By separating the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42, it is possible to prevent the formation of such a thin-walled shape in the guide mechanism 40. As a result, the gripping device 100 can suppress the occurrence of warping or distortion of the resin in the guide mechanism 40, which is caused by the thin-walled shape.

[0056] (1-4) By fastening the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42 to the body 10 with the fixing members 50, it is possible to adjust the play in the gripping member 30 by the tightening torque of the fixing members 50. As a result, unlike when the bottom plate 41 and the two guide rails 42 are fixed to the body 10 with, for example, fixing pins, it is possible to adjust the play in the gripping member 30 without removing the guide mechanism 40 from the body 10.

[0057] (1-5) When the fastening of the guide rails 42 to the body 10 by the fixing member 50 is slightly loosened, the guide rails 42 can move in the body thickness direction Y by an amount equal to the difference between the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a and the diameter of the shaft portion 51. As a result, the guide mechanism 40 can adjust the distance between the two guide rails 42 in the body thickness direction Y without completely removing the fixing member 50. In other words, it is possible to adjust the play in the gripping member 30 without completely removing the two guide rails 42 and the fixing member 50 from the body 10.

[0058] (1-6) Both longitudinal ends of the bottom plate 41 and both longitudinal ends of the guide rails 42 are located at positions that protrude from both end faces of the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X. The guide grooves 43 extend to positions that protrude beyond both ends of the body 10 in the opening / closing direction X. By including the bottom plate 41, the guide mechanism 40 can expand the range of the gripping member 30 that can be guided by the guide grooves 43 in the opening / closing direction X.

[0059] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment of the gripping device will be described below with reference to Fig. 5. The main difference from the first embodiment is that the guide mechanism 40 does not have a bottom plate 41. Therefore, detailed description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted. As with the first embodiment, the gripping device 100 of the second embodiment also has a pair of levers 20 and an actuator unit 12, but these are not shown in Fig. 5.

[0060] 5, the body 10 has a body flange portion B1 at a first end portion. In the opening / closing direction X, the width of the body flange portion B1 matches the axial length of the guide rail 42. The pair of gripping members 30 are provided at the first end portion of the body 10 with their connection surfaces 312 facing the body flange portion B1.

[0061] The body flange B1 has a body-side fixing hole 10b formed therein. That is, the guide rail 42 is fastened to the body flange B1 by a fixing member 50. [Operation of this embodiment] The operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0062] The pair of gripping members 30 move in the opening / closing direction X along the body flange portion B1 and the guide rail 42. The range in which the pair of gripping members 30 are guided by the guide mechanism 40 in the opening / closing direction X corresponds to the length of the guide rail 42 and the body flange portion B1 in that direction. In other words, when the gripping device 100 opens or closes the pair of gripping members 30, the movement of the pair of gripping members 30 is guided in the opening / closing direction X within the range in which the guide rail 42 and the body flange portion B1 exist.

[0063] [Effects of this embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (2-1) The gripping device 100 has a body flange portion B1 on the body 10, so that the two guide rails 42 can be supported at the first end without providing a bottom plate 41. As a result, the gripping device 100 can reduce the number of parts of the guide mechanism 40 and facilitate adjustment of backlash in the gripping member 30.

[0064] [Example of change] The above-described embodiments can be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0065] The diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a does not have to be larger than the diameter of the body-side fixing hole 10b. For example, the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a may be the same as the diameter of the body-side fixing hole 10b. The diameter of the rail-side fixing hole 42a only needs to allow the shaft portion 51 to be inserted therethrough.

[0066] The fixing member 50 does not have to have the shaft portion 51 and the flange portion 52. For example, the fixing member 50 may be a fixing pin having only the shaft portion 51. In this case, the fixing member 50 is inserted through the rail-side fixing hole 42a and the bottom plate fixing hole 41b, and is press-fit into the body-side fixing hole 10b.

[0067] The bottom plate 41 and the guide rail 42 do not have to be fastened together by the fixing member 50. For example, the bottom plate 41 and the guide rail 42 may be integrated together by a clamp or the like. The guide mechanism 40 does not have to be made of resin. That is, the bottom plate 41 and the guide rails 42 may each be made of metal. In this case, it is preferable that the bottom plate 41 and the guide rails 42 are each made of a lightweight metal such as an aluminum alloy.

[0068] In the guide mechanism 40, either the bottom plate 41 or the guide rails 42 may be made of resin. Specifically, in the guide mechanism 40, the bottom plate 41 may be made of metal and the guide rails 42 may be made of resin. Furthermore, in the guide mechanism 40, the bottom plate 41 may be made of resin and the guide rails 42 may be made of metal.

[0069] Both the bottom plate 41 and the guide rail 42 may be made of metal. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 may be made of metal. The guide mechanism 40 may have three or more guide rails 42. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the guide mechanism 40 may have four guide rails 42. In this case, the guide mechanism 40 has two guide rails 42 aligned in the body thickness direction Y for each gripping member 30. In other words, the guide mechanism 40 guides each gripping member 30 in the opening / closing direction X by the two guide rails 42.

[0070] Each of the four guide rails 42 has two rail-side fixing holes 42a. Furthermore, the first end of the body 10 and the bottom plate 41 have a body-side fixing hole 10b and a bottom plate fixing hole 41b, respectively, at positions aligned with the rail-side fixing holes 42a in the axial direction Z. Each guide rail 42 is fastened to the bottom plate 41 and the body 10 by two fixing members 50. That is, in this case, the gripping device 100 has eight fixing members 50.

[0071] The guide mechanism 40 has a gap C1 between two guide rails 42 aligned in the opening / closing direction X. This makes the guide mechanism 40 lighter by the gap C1 compared to when two guide rails 42 guide a pair of gripping members 30. Furthermore, even when the pair of gripping members 30 are spaced apart, the gripping members 30 can be guided by moving the positions of the two guide rails 42 that sandwich each gripping member 30 without changing the length of each guide rail 42. In other words, even when the distance between the pair of gripping members 30 is long, the gripping device 100 can be made lighter by preventing the guide rails 42 from being long.

[0072] Furthermore, of the guide rails 42 that sandwich the gripping member 30, one of the guide rails 42 may be formed by one guide rail 42, while the other guide rail 42 may be formed by a plurality of guide rails 42.

[0073] The body 10 does not have to be made of resin. For example, the body 10 may be made of metal. The rod 15 does not have to be driven by the supply or exhaust of compressed air from a compressed air supply source. For example, the rod 15 may protrude from the second end of the body 10 and move in the axial direction Z using a rotating cam provided outside the body 10 as a power source.

[0074] [Note] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. (i) A gripping device in which the guide rail is made of metal and the bottom plate is made of resin.

[0075] (b) The body of the gripping device has a body flange portion that supports the plurality of guide rails. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10...body, 10b...body side fixing hole, 15...rod, 20...lever, 30...gripping member, 40...guide mechanism, 41...bottom plate, 42...guide rail, 42a...rail side fixing hole, 50...fixing member, 51...shaft portion, 52...flange portion, 100...gripping device, X...opening / closing direction.

Claims

1. A pair of gripping members configured to be openable and closable; a guide mechanism that guides the pair of gripping members to move in an opening and closing direction; a rod configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction; a pair of levers connecting the rod and the gripping member; a body that holds the rod and the pair of levers and to which the guide mechanism is fixed by a fixing member, The pair of gripping members are interlocked with the movement of the rod by the pair of levers, and are moved in the opening and closing direction by being guided by the guide mechanism. the guide mechanism includes a plurality of guide rails extending in the opening and closing direction and fixed to the body by the fixing member, A gripping device characterized in that the multiple guide rails sandwich a pair of gripping members in a direction perpendicular to the opening / closing direction and the direction in which the rod can move, and hold the pair of gripping members against the body.

2. the guide mechanism has a bottom plate interposed between the plurality of guide rails and the body, The gripping device according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of gripping members are connected to the pair of levers that penetrate the bottom plate, and open and close along the bottom plate.

3. The gripping device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide mechanism is made of resin.

4. the body has a plurality of body-side fixing holes at an end where the pair of gripping members are provided, the guide rail has a plurality of rail-side fixing holes that face the body-side fixing holes and penetrate the guide rail, The gripping device according to claim 3 , wherein the fixing member has a shaft portion that is inserted into the rail-side fixing hole and screwed into the body-side fixing hole, and a flange portion that presses the guide rail against the body.

5. The gripping device according to claim 4 , wherein the diameter of the rail-side fixing hole is larger than the diameter of the body-side fixing hole and smaller than the diameter of the flange portion.

Images